INTERVIEW
He belongs to the very closed club of 21. Florent Balmont, 513 matches in Ligue 1 ongoing series and stopped for the moment by the confinement and the crisis of Coronavirus, is the 13th player in history with the most number of matches played in the elite. "It's a great source of pride, few players have done it. This last season, I'm making the most of it," said the midfielder on Europe 1. "Sometimes I was not in the group, but I gave the maximum to set an example for young people. "
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Confinement, between homework for children and maintaining physical fitness
Until he can improve his record, Florent Balmont is, like all French people, confined to his home. "We respect him from the start, it's crucial, we try to keep busy, we have a lot of things to do, especially with the children." And to detail his typical day: "Fortunately my big one who is 16 years old is in second, she takes care a little all alone, but our son who is in 5th and our small of 9 years ask a lot in terms of homework, the morning."
In the afternoon, the midfielder "tries to land with [his] wife", to do "things that we might not have had time to do during the year". He also continues to maintain his physical form, even more at 40 years of age. "The technical staff sends us a program, everyone practices, afterwards it is sure that they do not put pressure on us, if we want to do more, we do more. I do exercise bikes, a lot of pumps, abs ". But it is clear that "it does not replace training".
"Flo" Balmont is ready to resume football, even if he will comply with government directives. On the other hand, the idea of training in small groups hardly enchants him. "Training with 2 or 3 players here and there is complicated, risky, it takes the whole group. We will have to wait until the confinement is over, rather than rushing."
End of career at the end of the season, whatever happens
One thing is certain, this 2019/2020 season will be his last professional football player. "If the championship does not resume, well we stop, it was planned that it would be my last season. I took advantage of it, to the maximum, since the age of 20 I am in the professional environment, I do not would have no regrets if I have to stop. " "We don't want to end up like this, but it's part of the vagaries. We talk more about health than football."
A busy career, from his training in Lyon via Toulouse, Nice, Lille and therefore Dijon. "The image of temperament is my trademark, it is a set of things. I have a lot of friends in football, I think that the human side and humility, that too is a pride is important to me, this is what allowed me to make this career. "
A position awaits him in Dijon, before becoming a coach
The 2011 French champion with Lille will not have time to get bored, he has already planned everything for his post-career. "I'm going to go to the other side of the barrier as they say, to the coaching side", he confides on Europe 1. "I'm going to pass my diplomas next year, a job not easy but which gives me I've been wanting for quite a few years already. With all the experience I've had, I also want to transmit. " A transmission which should be carried out initially at the current 16th of Ligue 1: "I think that next year, it is programmed that I remain on Dijon. It is partly activated, we will see in time wanted, so at the end of the season. "